‘We have to strike to defend Royal Mail, to defend our jobs and to defend our pensions,’ CWU HP Section Chairman, South Central No 1 Branch, Rob Bolton said yesterday.
He was speaking in response to the Labour government’s announcement that it intends to take over the Royal Mail pension fund and to hand over one third of Royal Mail to a private company, threatening 50,000 jobs.
Post Office Minister Pat McFadden told the House of Commons yesterday afternoon that the government backs the Hooper Report into the future of Royal Mail.
McFadden said: ‘The report recommends that as part of the package of changes the government should take over responsibility for reducing substantially the pension deficit.
‘I would stress that Hooper says this would only be justified as part of a coherent package to secure the Royal Mail’s long-term viability.
‘Secondly, and closely related, to improve the Royal Mail’s performance, it should forge a strategic minority partnership with a postal operator with a proven record in transforming its business working closely with the workforce.’
McFadden went on: ‘We and the Royal Mail have already received one expression of interest, from the Dutch postal company TNT.’
Prior to McFadden’s statement, CWU General Secretary Billy Hayes declared: ‘We will oppose any form of privatisation and hold the government to their manifesto commitment to keep Royal Mail fully integrated and wholly publicly owned.’
John Simkins, CWU London District Committee Substitute Divisional Representative, told News Line: ‘We’re completely opposed to this retraction of the Labour government’s manifesto pledge not to privatise Royal Mail.
‘The terms of our motion which we put to conference last year were very clear, if there are any moves by the Labour government to privatise Royal Mail we must withdraw funding of the Labour Party.
‘We have to defend the publicly owned Royal Mail in its entirety and use any means open to us to do so, including industrial action if that is what is required.
‘I believe the public overwhelmingly supports a publicly owned Royal Mail.
‘Over the past few months we have seen a massive bailing out of the banking system, if a fraction of that money was invested in the Royal Mail it would make it the most efficient, cost effective postal service in the world.
‘If we were to lose a third of our work that would mean we would lose a third of our jobs, that is up to 50,000 jobs.’
Rob Bolton told News Line: ‘The conclusions of the Hooper Review are exactly what Brown and Mandelson wanted. They will now use this fake review to proceed with the privatisation of Royal Mail.
‘What the Tories could not get away with, because of the determination of the CWU membership, Brown and co intend to finish.
‘The part privatisation will result in 50,000 redundancies, as any investor will demand a vicious rationalisation in order to boost the profits on its investments.
‘Our pension has already been attacked, we can now expect that even the reduced pension imposed on Royal Mail staff will be further eroded.
‘The leaders of the CWU, Hayes and Ward, have been made to look stupid as they have staked everything on the Warwick Agreement.
‘We need to take strike action to defend our jobs and pensions and we have to replace our weak and compromised leadership with leaders who are prepared to fight and win.’